Brexit: UK’s only Green MP speaks out

‘People in Britain are angry’ – that is the message from the UK’s only Green MP in the wake of the EU referendum result.

Caroline Lucas has called Caroline Lucas has called for parties to work together following a campaign that ‘divided communities’

The Brighton Pavilion MP had backed the campaign for the UK to remain in the EU, and was strongly backed by voters across Brighton and Hove, where more than 100,000 people voted ‘remain’ while some 46,000 voted to leave the EU.

Writing on her website yesterday, Ms Lucas said: “We face new challenges today – from climate change and the refugee crisis to international terrorism. They cross borders and affect us all. I believe that we are stronger and safer if we work with our European neighbours to rise to these challenges.”

And following the result, Ms Lucas said: “People in Britain are angry – and they’ve expressed that anger by voting to leave the EU. The most important task at hand now is unifying our divided communities.

“Our party will now mobilise alongside the Trade Unions, environmental groups and others to defend our hard-won rights at work and environmental protections.”

Ms Lucas had previously joined forces with ex-diplomat and climate expert John Ashton in calling for people to vote remain to ‘win the climate struggle’, saying: “The EU is far from perfect – having been an MEP for ten years I know that all too well. But it’s the best hope we have when it comes to tackling climate change and protecting our environment.”

After the referendum result was announced, the MP said the Green Party expected the Leave campaign to honour their promise to allow Europeans living in the UK to stay, but questioned what would happen to people coming from abroad to visit family, or UK citizens who had saved to make a new life on the Continent.

“The prospect of shutting down the right to free movement is frightening, as are the consequences of a campaign that has at times pitted neighbours against one another, whipped up fear and allowed lies and myths to take the place of truth,” said Ms Lucas. “Britain deserves better and I am pledging anew to fight against division on behalf of my constituents.”

Ms Lucas also said the referendum had shown the old party system was not representing people’s views and was failing.

She added: “We’re calling on all sides to come together to fix our democracy here in Britain – starting with electoral reform for the House of Commons. The democratic deficit will not be fixed by leaving the EU – we need to look closer to home, too.”

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